On June 20, all professionals who practice before the Internal Revenue Service and provide tax opinions must change the way they do business. On that date, the now infamous Circular 230 goes into effect, with compliance language so broad it...
For the fourth time in as many years, the House of Representatives voted on April 13 to repeal the federal estate tax. If what Republicans deride as the death tax survives, it'll be because once again cooler heads prevail in the Senate. Many...
Gideon Rothschild, partner in the New York-based Moses & Singer LLP and specialist in asset protection, reports: If a wealthy client could possibly go bankrupt in the next 10 years, now is the time for him to move his assets into an offshore trust...
In December 2003, the Internal Revenue Service issued new regulations governing the definition of trust income for federal tax purposes. These regulations create significant planning opportunities as well as some potential pitfalls. There are...
In the wake of the Terry Schiavo case and the death of Pope John Paul II many clients are focusing on end-of-life issues, particularly those surrounding life support and the final wishes of an incapacitated patient. Financial concerns, of course...
Say you meet up with a married couple in their mid 60s with three adult children and a net worth of $3 million $1.5 million in his IRA, $500,000 in their home and $1 million in nonretirement mutual funds. Since the husband is likely to die first...
For closely held family business owners who want their businesses to pass to the next generation, there are various estate-planning techniques that should help them avoid significant transfer tax costs. These range from simple gifts of family...